181 thefts were reported in 2009, compared to just 53 in 2006 with police reports confirming that some thieves had been caught with up to 20 handsets.

According to the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit (NMPCU), there has been a mutation of mobile phone offences and they are now often linked to serious crime such as drugs.

It is thought that demand in other countries has led to a rise in this type of crime, with phones then going on to be sold at four times their original UK price.

Many handsets end up in eastern Europe and north Africa where the mobile phone business is growing at an astonishing rate. The police have reported that there was a 50% rise in mobile phone thefts between 2008 and 2009 to keep up with the demand.

The NMPCU have reported that in 2009 alone, gigs by artists including Oasis, The Wombats, Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian were targeted.

In the throes of the festival season, crowd concentration levels are high offering the perfect environment for thieves. Theives have been known to disguise themselves, often wearing the artist’s merchandise to ensure that they blend in.

Gig-goers have been urged to be cautious and advised to use an old handset, register mobile phones with an online database and keep valuables in a secure locker.

More than 3,000 people have fallen victim to this type of crime, in more than 500 separate incidents.

In terms of the future, police are working with venue owners, concert promoters and various artists to raise awareness and help to prevent the crime levels of recent years.

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